GEN Raymond T. Odierno, Chief of Staff of the Army, visited the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, on 30 August 2012. The CTC’s Distinguished Chair, GEN(R) John P. Abizaid, COL Michael Meese, Head of the Department of Social Sciences, and selected CTC faculty members briefed GEN Odierno, LTG David H. Huntoon, Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, and BG Theodore T. Martin, Commandant of the U.S. Corps of Cadets, on the CTC’s mission and current research.
After former CTC Director LTC Liam Collins presented a brief overview of the Center’s history and structure, various members discussed their research findings regarding issues of interest to the Chief. Topics included: the evolving nature of al-Qa’ida; implications of the Arab Spring for jihadist ideology; domestic right-wing terrorism; the Haqqani network’s evolution and current capabilities; jihadist activity in Syria; and current research on radicalization.
